On Sun, 14 Jul 2019 20:42:58 -0000 (UTC), Recliner
wrote:

Mark Goodge wrote:
On Sun, 14 Jul 2019 12:01:55 +0100, Roland Perry
wrote:

In message , at 09:55:16 on Sun, 14 Jul
2019, Recliner remarked:
Roland Perry wrote:

Oh, the irony; the reason I bought and am sticking with that phone
(dual-SIM) is the very reason I can't use the second SIM slot for this.

My Android 9 phone is dual sim.

Active, standby or hybrid? Maybe the Virgin trick doesn't work on a
standby basis, and all the hybrid I've seen today are also standby.

If I add in my requirement for a replaceable battery, 32GB, active
dual-SIM, I think that narrows the field to zero.

Accepting a hybrid dual-SIM doesn't help, unfortunately (with 32GB, I
probably wouldn't need an SD card).

Moto dual-sim phones are active dual-sim, and have replaceable
batteries. I have this one, and it has all of the features you mention
except 32GB built in (but it has an SD card slot which provides me
with that): https://amzn.to/2jQA12b

Looking at more recent models, I think this one would tick all the
boxes: https://amzn.to/30vN60j (It has a notched display, though,
which really irritates me, and has moved the fingerprint sensor to the
back, which I'm also not keen on, so I suspect I won't be upgrading to
this when I need to replace my current phone).


I don't think those phones have field replaceable batteries in the sense
that Roland meant? Few modern phones do.

Yes, they do. Mine certainly does, anyway, and looking at the spec
(and a bit of additional Googling) for the newer one suggests it does,
too. You do have to take the rear case off to access the battery, so
it's not as simple as just shoving it into a slot or clipping it on
like you used to do with the pre-smartphone bricks. But the case just
clips on and can be removed with your fingernails if they're robust
enough (and with a small piece of plastic or a small screwdriver if
they're not).

More generally, Moto appears to have deliberately chosen to target
this kind of use case. I came across them when I asked a similar
question to Roland's in another place, and was given Moto as a
recommendation. All of their phones have simple, clip-on cases that
are easily removed to reveal a plug-in replaceable battery (no screws
or other tools needed), and the dual-sim versions are not only active
dual-sim but also have the SD slot separately to the sim slots (so you
don't have to choose between a second sim and an SD card, unlike some
phones). Their version of Android is also pretty close to vanilla,
again unlike the heavily customised version found in phones from some
other popular suppliers.

The downside is that, for a mid-priced phone, they're not usually the
top performers when it comes to camera quality, processor power, etc.
So if that sort of thing matters, you can often find better value for
money elsewhere. But they're perfectly good enough for most purposes
unless you do want to push the envelope. And I find the flexibility
(particularly the active dual-sim, which is the reason I bought one in
the first place) more than outweighs the fact that the camera doesn't
come with bragging rights on Instagram.

I prefer the rear fingerprint sensor. It works well, without stealing
screen space. It's just very natural to pick up the phone with your index
finger on the sensor.

I suppose it's worth trying. It's just that I'm used to it being where
it is on my curent phone.

Mark